Customer activated multi-value (CAM) card

ABSTRACT

The Customer Activated Multi-Value (CAM) card provides a customer with a primary use as a transaction card which can be further activated to have a secondary use as a credit card. The CAM card can be activated as a transaction card or as a transaction card with a credit card feature. Activation of the CAM card as a transaction card allows the customer to purchase goods and services from one specific vendor and to establish a relationship with that vendor for the goods or services rendered (for example, telephone calling card or gasoline product purchasing card) while enjoying reward benefits based on those purchases. Activation of the credit feature of the card allows the customer to interact with any merchant that accepts traditional credit cards such as VISA®, MASTERCARD®, AMERICAN EXRESS®, or DISCOVER®. The combination of features allows a customer to purchase various goods and services from several different merchants. If the customer chooses to activate the CAM card as both a transaction card and a credit card, the customer is given the benefit of using the card in both manners described above.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to transaction and payment cards,including credit cards, bank cards, debit cards, telephone calling cardsand the like, and more particularly to a transaction card or paymentcard which can be activated to have an alternative or secondary use as acredit card by adding a credit feature.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today, credit card usage is virtually a part of a customer's daily lifebecause customers recognize the many advantages of obtaining creditcards. For example, credit cards are safer to carry than money, and theycan help a customer to establish a good credit rating. Additionally,they can serve as a source of convenience should the customer need tomake an unexpected purchase for which they may not have the cashimmediately available. As a result of this growing trend, the creditcard industry is a booming and profitable industry; thus, customers areconstantly inundated with many different credit card offers. Forexample, customers are offered department store credit cards, gasolineproduct cards (oil companies), telephone calling cards, VISA® creditcards, MASTERCARD® credit cards, AMERICAN EXPRESS® credit cards, debitcards, and/or the like.

One of the most appealing features of a credit card purchase is that itallows customers to buy now and pay later. Another advantage is thatsome credit cards permit customers to establish direct relationship withspecific types of business, for example, a telephone calling card or agasoline product payment card. With a gasoline product card, acardholder has the convenience of purchasing gasoline products from aspecific oil company, without conducting a cash transaction, andreceiving one itemized bill at the end of the billing period. Theitemized billing statement is beneficial for providing businesses orentrepreneurs with a detail summary, at the end of the month or year, ofthe amount of gasoline which was purchased during the time period and aneasy method to calculate business-related mileage driven during the timeperiod. Another enticement of credit card usage is that some credit cardissuers offer to their customers “reward points or reward offers” as anincentive to increase the amount of the customer's purchases or toincrease the frequency in which the customer transacts purchases withtheir credit card.

While customers realize the benefits of obtaining several differenttypes of credit cards and establishing several different types ofrelationships with different types of industries, customers cansometimes be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of credit cards that theyneed to carry in order to perform daily activities. Although VISA® andMASTERCARD® are widely accepted, no one card has been accepteduniversally. Regardless of the fact that VISA® and MASTERCARD® can beused to perform other types of transactions, the usage of a VISA® orMASTERCARD® for the purchase of gasoline or a telephone call usuallydoes not allow the customer to establish a direct relationship with theindividual companies enacting the transaction.

Furthermore, using VISA® and/or MASTERCARD® to make a purchase can bemore expensive for a merchant because this transaction is treated as apurchase on the VISA® or MASTERCARD® credit card account for which themerchant often pays a transaction fee. Similarly, customers may incuradditional expenses when using VISA® and/or MASTERCARD® to performdifferent types of transactions. For instance, when a customer uses herVISA® credit card to make a telephone call, the telephone companydetermines the amount of the telephone call and bills the amountdirectly to the customer's VISA® account. The amount is then entered asa purchase onto the customer's VISA® account and if the customer failsto pay the entire balance by the next billing cycle, the customer alsoincurs an additional charge based on the current interest rateassociated with the account until the entire VISA® account is paid infull. Therefore, a need still exists for a cost-effective method whichprovides a customer the convenience of using one card which can beeasily activated to perform different functions, establish differentrelationships with different industries (e.g., a phone card, a gas card,a catalog purchasing card, or a dining card) and offer rebateincentives.

Traditionally, the procedure for obtaining a credit card normallyrequires several steps which can delay the customer's receipt of afunctioning credit card for approximately 2650 days. The normal creditcard issuance process begins when the prospective customer receivesdirect marketing material in the mail or at a merchant's location.Within the next 7-14 days, the prospective customer reads theapproximately 500-800 word application, completes the application andreturns the application to the credit card issuer through the mailsystem. Once mailed, it takes another 3-4 days for the paper applicationto travel through the postal system. The credit card issuer receives thepaper application, and over the next 10-20 days, the credit card issuerprocesses the application to determine whether to accept or decline thecustomer's application. Thereafter, the customer receives a writtenresponse within 5 to 7 days as to whether their application is acceptedor declined If the application is accepted, a functioning credit cardoften will be included in the written response. After 1 to 5 days, thecustomer will read the 800-1500 word credit card agreement and then willactivate the credit card telephonically before it can be used. However,not all credit card issuers take the additional measure of requiringtelephonic activation; some may use a less secure method of mailingactive cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Customer Activated Multi-Value (CAM) card provides a customer with atransaction card with a primary use that is not a credit use, to whichthe customer can add a credit card feature, as well as other featureswhich can be added to enhance the transaction card's usage. The CustomerActivated Multi-Value card can be activated as a non-credit transactioncard (e.g., a phone card, a gasoline product card, a catalog purchasingcard, a dining card, or the like) or as a transaction card with a creditcard feature. Activation of the CAM card as a transaction card allowsthe customer to purchase goods and services from one specific vendor orseveral specific vendors and to establish a relationship with eachvendor for goods or services rendered (for example, a stored-valuetelephone calling card or gasoline product purchasing card).

An additional enhancement of the CAM card is a rewards feature. The“reward dollars” can be redeemed or spent at the specific vendor or atany other merchant that accepts the transaction logo or mark displayedon the card. Another feature of the CAM card is that it provides thecustomer with the option to add a credit card feature to the transactioncard. By adding the secondary credit card feature to the CAM card, thecustomer is able to interact with any merchant that accepts traditionalcredit cards such as VISA®, MASTERCARD®, AMERICAN EXPRESS®, DISCOVER® orthe like. In addition, the “reward dollar” points may be used as acredit against the secondary credit feature to reduce the balance of thesecondary credit card feature. Even if the credit feature is notactivated, customers can still earn reward dollars, cashing them in atretail outlets that accept logos printed on the card, such asMASTERCARD®, VISA®, AMERICAN EXPRESS®, DISCOVER®, any other major creditcard, debit card, or the like. In this instance, the open-to-buy amountis equal to the amount of reward dollars accrued.

The reward dollars of the present invention differs from the rewardpoints disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,372, assigned to MeridianEnterprises, Inc. (the “Meridian patent”). In order to receive “credits”to or through his or her credit instrument, a participant in theincentive award program disclosed in the Meridian patent must initiallyreach certain goals or levels of performance. Unlike the Meridianpatent, the CAM card does not require the customer to achieve a certaingoal or level of performance in order for the customer to receive acredit towards their primary transaction card or secondary credit cardfeature. The CAM card customer automatically receives a credit everytime the customer uses her primary transaction card to transact apurchase. A certain percentage of the total amount spent during eachtransaction will be used as a credit towards the balance of thecustomer's secondary credit card feature, or transaction card feature.

Furthermore, the activation process for the CAM is an automated processwhich significantly reduces the time in which a customer normally has towait before she can use an active credit card. The automated activationprocess of the CAM card provides customers with a secure, quick and easyactivation process for selecting one or more of the described options.The overall activation process from the date on which the prospectivecustomer receives the direct mail marketing piece, which includes aninactive CAM card, to the date the prospective customer has afunctioning transaction card and/or credit card is reduced from anestimated average of 26-50 days to 1-5 days. The number of distinctsteps that the customer performs to possess a functioning credit carddecreases by approximately 80%. The process for having an active creditcard decreases from an estimated average of 10 steps practiced in thetraditional process to two steps employed by the novel automatedactivation process of the CAM card. Upon receipt of the CAM card, theprospective customer reads the marketing material and if she wishes toadd the credit card feature she then reads the 800-1500 word cardmemberagreement. The prospective customer telephones the CAM activation centerand the customer's activation request is automatically processed overthe telephone by a live operator or voice response unit (VRU). As analternative embodiment, the customer may use a personal computer, theInternet or the like to activate the CAM card.

One object of the present invention is a transaction card which has a“sustainable and independent use” and to which a credit card feature canbe added at the prospective customer's request.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency ofthe overall process of obtaining a credit card by reducing the time fromwhen a prospective customer receives the marketing information to thetime the customer has a functioning transaction card and credit card.

Another object of the present invention is to decrease the number ofdistinct steps that a customer performs to receive a functioning creditcard from an estimated average of 10 steps to 2 steps.

It is a further object to provide traction cards imprinted with theprospective customer's name in a direct mail marketing piece versustraditional methods of direct marketing materials including a paperapplication or response form that is mailed back to the transaction cardprovider where the transaction card is not sent to the customer untilthe paper application or response is processed and approved.

Another object is to have customers activate their transaction card andadd their credit card feature automatically versus applying for atransaction card or credit card by completing a paper application whichis sent through the mail; thus easing the application process andenhancing the card's security features.

It is still another object to decrease the chance of credit card fraudby requiring that the prospective customer contact the process centerand interact directly with a telemarketing representative.

It is still another object that the activation process between thecustomer and the process center include several levels of safetyfeatures built into the system in order to deter theft and/or fraud.

Another object is that the reward dollars may be used as a creditagainst the secondary credit feature to reduce the balance of thesecondary credit card feature.

It is a further object that even if the credit feature is not activated,customers can still earn reward dollars, cashing them in at retailoutlets that accept MASTERCARD® and VISA®.

It is still another object that, if the customer chooses not to applyfor the secondary credit feature, the customer may still select the“rewards dollars” feature where the open-to-buy amount is equal to theamount of reward dollars accrued.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of the overall process of the present invention

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the activation process of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3A is a flow diagram of the activation process of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3B is a flow diagram of the activation process of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3C is a flow diagram of the activation process of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3D is a flow diagram of the activation process of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a computer program utilized inconjunction with a transaction card which can be activated automaticallyand to which the recipient can add a credit card feature as a secondaryuse card.

The CAM card system (10) provides customers with a relatively quick andefficient method of obtaining a transaction card which can also functionas a credit card or other secondary use, if activated to do so.

Referring to FIG. 1, prior to mailing the solicitations, CAM cardaccounts are prebuilt (15). The prebuilt accord (15) provide the systemwith the capability of automatically activating the customer's accountwhen the customer calls to activate the transaction card (25). Theprebuilt accounts (15) are built with a frozen or inactive status; incase the cards are lost or stolen, they cannot be used unless they havebeen properly activated through the CAM activation process. After theprebuilt accounts (15) are established, an embossing file is created foreach prebuilt account. The embossing file is used to emboss the cardswith the customers' name and account number. A solicitation, containingthe marketing information, is mailed to each customer with apersonalized, embossed card enclosed (20). Once the prospective customerreceives the solicitation, she reads the materials and, if interested,calls the number listed in the package to activate the transaction card(25). In order to deter theft and/or fraud, the prospect is verifiedduring the activation call (30). The safety features are designed toprompt the system to ask the person calling several different questionsto ensure that the person calling is the intended customer. If theprospect is not verified, the call is closed (40). If the person isverified, the system advances to the secondary credit card feature offer(45). The customer is asked by the customer service representativewhether the customer wants to add the secondary credit card feature(47). If no, the primary transaction card will be immediately activated(50). If the customer wishes to add the credit card feature, a creditapplication will be completed (55) and automatically decisioned (60)during the activation call. If approved (63), the primary transactioncard including the credit card feature will be activated (65). If thecredit application is not approved, only the primary transaction cardwill be activated (70) automatically during the telephone call.

More specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates the activation options availableto the customer through the CAM card system (71). The customer maydecide to activate the primary transaction card feature only (72).Furthermore, the customer may decide to activate the primary transactionfeature and add any additional feature(s) (73). In addition to obtainingthe primary transaction card, the customer may wish to add the secondarycredit card feature (74). Another option provided to the customer is acard that includes the primary transaction card, the secondary creditcard feature and any additional features that the CAM system may offer(75).

FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate the basic embodiment of the CAM card activationprocess telephonically interacting with a live operator, however, acustomer may activate the CAM card through the use of a computer, theInternet or the like interacting with a live operator, VRU or acomputer. The CAM activation process may be activated by two differentinitialization processes, the Inbound Call process or OutboundTelemarketing process. The Inbound Call activation process shown in FIG.3A begins when a prospective customer receives the direct marketing mailpiece which contains an inactive transaction card and the optionalsecondary credit feature terms and conditions. As detailed in FIG. 2,the customer contacts the CAM card automated activation process center(71) to activate the transaction card (72), to activate the transactioncard and the secondary credit card feature (73) or to activate thetransaction card, the secondary credit card feature and any additionalfeatures (74).

If all customer service representatives are busy addressing othercustomers' request (97) when the prospective customer contacts the CAMactivation processing center, the customer receives a customized message(100) until the next customer service representative is available. Oncethe next customer service representative is available, the CAM systemautomatically initiates the activation process by maneuvering thecustomer through several levels of safety features built into thesystem. In order to deter theft and/or fraud, the safety features aredesigned to ask the person calling several different questions to ensurethat the person calling is the intended customer.

Initially, when a caller contacts the CAM activation process center, thesystem initiates the Automatic Number Identification (ANI). The ANIautomatically checks the telephone number from which the telephone callis made versus the telephone number stored in the system andautomatically displayed by the caller identification feature of thesystem on the GUI (98). If the caller's stored telephone number matchesthe telephone number from which the caller is calling and the callerinforms the customer service representative that he is not interested inparticipating in any of the services offered, the customer servicerepresentative attempts to find oat the reason why the customer isdisinterested in the program and enters this information into the system(32). The customer service representative closes the call (33) andupdates the file on First Data Resources (FDR) (120). FDR is the dataprocessing and statement generating company used by First USA tomaintain First USA's credit card account records. FDR (120), the dataprocessor, receives data as to all charges made on the credit card andposts them to the customer's First USA credit card billing statement.FDR also maintains the CAM-card customers' and potential customers'files.

Referring to Block (30), should the customer inform the customer servicerepresentative that she wishes to activate the CAM card and if thecaller's telephone number fails to match the telephone number stored inthe system, the system (10) instructs the customer servicerepresentative to ask the caller for the account number shown on thetransaction card (36). Referring to Block (38), if the customer fails torespond with a valid account number, the system prompts the customerservice representative to ask the caller whether she is the person whosename is listed on the transaction card (39).” If the caller informs therepresentative that she is not the person whose name is printed on thetransaction card, the customer service representative will inform thecaller that the transaction card may be activated only by the personwhose name is listed on the card. The customer service representativewill then request to speak with the person originally solicited (47) andthat the person solicited must call back to activate the card.

Returning to Block (38) if the 13-digit account number fails to matchthe stored account number and the customer informs the customer servicerepresentative that she is the person listed on the card (39), as anadditional safety precautionary measure, the customer servicerepresentative requests whether the caller is calling from home (41). Ifthe customer indicates that she is calling from home, the system (10)instructs the customer service representative to request the customer'stelephone number for the Outbound Telemarketing to call the prospectivecustomer (110) back at a later date. The customer service representativecloses out the call since the verification of the customer has failed.The file is updated on FDR (120). The activation center will forward thefile to the Outbound Telemarketing process where the customer servicerepresentatives will use the newly obtained telephone number to call theprospective customer back, and once the customer identification isverified, the system will attempt the activation process again.

Returning to Block (41) if the customer is not calling from home, thecustomer service representative informs the customer to call back at alater date from her home telephone (100). Referring back to Block (38),if the account number given by the customer is a valid account number,the customer service representative will ask the customer for theirsocial security number (42). If the last four digits do not match thecustomer's social security number stored in the system (43), the systemreturns to Block (110) where the customer service representativerequests the customer's telephone number for the Outbound Telemarketingprocess to call the prospective customer back at a later date. Thecustomer service representative closes out the call since verificationof the customer has failed. The file is updated on FDR (120). Theactivation center will forward the file to the Outbound Telemarketingprocess where the customer service representatives will call theprospective customer back at a later date and attempt the activationprocess again once the customer identification is verified.

Referring back to (98), if the customer's telephone number matches theANI number (30) and the customer is interested in activating the card,the system (10) displays the customer's account number. The customerservice representative requests the last eight digits of the accountnumber (37) on the transaction card. If the account number given (51) bythe customer fails to match (53) the account number stored in the systemor if the customer informs the customer service representative that heor she is unable to provide the transaction card, the system willadvance to Block (54). In Block (54), the customer servicerepresentative will ask for the customer's telephone number, and thesystem will automatically forward the customer's account to the OutboundTelemarketing process so that a call can be made to the customer at alater date (54). The customer service representative closes out the callsince verification of the customer has failed and updates the file onFDR (120).

Referring back to Block (51), if the 12 digit account number provided bythe customer corresponds with the account number stored in the system,the customer has cleared/passed the initial safety precautionary levelsand the system automatically moves into the eligibility check (130).Passing the initial safety level means that the ANI (98) correctlyidentified the caller's telephone number, the eight digit account numberprovided by the customer matched the information stored within thesystem and the caller has satisfied all other security checks of thesystem. Presumptively, clearance of the security check indicates thatthe ‘prospective’ customer is the person calling to activate the cardand has possession of the transaction card. As a result, the system (10)passes the initial safety precautionary questions and automaticallyperforms the eligibility check.

The eligibility check determines what services, if any, the customer hasalready activated. For a customer who has previously activated the CAMcard, the eligibility check (130) also enhances the system's efficiencyby preventing the customer from duplicating the initial activation stepseach time the customer calls the CAM processing center. Initially, thesystem (10) checks to verify if the FDR system is down (122). If the FDRis up and operating, the system automatically retrieves the accountflags according to the account's current status (140).

If the eligibility check is performed and the customer's account is notassigned a flag of H, I or J, this means that the customer has notpreviously activated any of the credit services (150). The system willadvance the customers account to FIGS. 3B, 3C and 3D respectively, wherethe customer service representative will attempt to convince thecustomer activate both the transaction card and add the secondary creditcard feature, as well as any other additional features (160).

Returning back to Block (140), if the customer's account generates aflag of H, I or J, this means that the customer has already accepted oractivated at least one of the services of the card. If a customerreceives a flag of “H,” this indicates that the customer has acceptedboth the transaction card and added the secondary credit card feature. Acustomer with a “H” flag may want to request a secondary credit cardlimit increase or may simply wish to speak with the customer servicerepresentative about her account. If the customer receives a flag of“I,” this informs the customer service representative that the customerhas been declined for the credit feature, but accepted the primarytransaction card feature. Here, the customer may wish to reapply for thesecondary credit card feature in FIGS. 3B and 3C. If the customerreceives a “J,” the system (10) informs the customer servicerepresentative that the customer has been previously declined for thecredit feature but rejected the primary transaction card feature. Now,the customer may wish to activate the primary transaction card feature(FIG. 3D) or activate the primary transaction use card and reapply forthe secondary credit card feature (FIGS. 3B, 3C and 3D). After thesystem performs the eligibility check of Block (140), the customer'saccount is forwarded to either FIG. 3B, 3C, or 3D, depending upon theservices desired by the customer (173).

Referring back to Block 122 in FIG. 5A, if the FDR system is down, thecustomer service representative asks the customer if she has alreadyactivated the transaction card (123). If the answer is yes, the customerservice representative refers the customer's account to the secondarycredit card feature offer or to primary traction card use provider, asappropriate (124). If the answer to Block (123) is “no”, then thecustomer service representative transfers the account to Block (150).The customer is then transferred to block 160 where he is transferred to3B, 3C, and 3D.

Referring to FIG. 3B, after the customer service representative has madehis pitch to the customer to accept the credit card feature (200) andthe customer accepts (210), the customer is asked by the customerservice representative their birthday (220). If the customer is lessthan 18 years old, the customer cannot be offered the secondary creditcard feature; they can only be offered the primary transaction card use(240). Therefore, the system will forward the customer's account to theprimary transaction card use offer (240) which is discussed in FIG. 3D.

Returning to Block (210), if the prospect declines to accept the offer,the customer service representative makes a rebuttal offer in Block(215). This rebuttal is another attempt to get the customer to acceptthe secondary credit card feature. If the customer declines the creditcard feature, the system moves to Block (240) and forwards thecustomer's account to the primary use offer, in FIG. 3D.

Returning to Block (210), if the customer is over the age of 18, thecustomer service representative will process the customer's credit cardapplication directly over the phone (270). The information required fromthe customer to process their credit request over the telephone is thecustomer's birth date, name, address, and business or home telephonenumber. The customer service representative will verify the customer'sname, address, and, as previously discussed, that the customer servicerepresentative is speaking to the person on file (280). If there basbeen a change in the caller's name or address, the customer servicerepresentative will also perform another safety level check (285). Ifthere has been a change in the customer's address, the system willforward to Block (286). After Block (286), the system moves to Block(287) where the customer service representative is prompted to ask thecustomer if the card is in the caller's possession. If the answer isyes, the card can be activated. The customer will give the customerservice representative their new address and telephone number. In Block(291), the customer service representative will then ask the customer“how long have you lived at your present address.” If the answer is lessthan two years (292), the customer service representative will requestthe customer's previous address (293). The system (10) then moves toBlock (295) where the customer is requested to give his fill socialsecurity number. If the customer refuses to give his fill socialsecurity number, the customer service representative will try a rebuttalor a second attempt to get the customer to give their full socialsecurity number (307). If the customer still refuses to give his or hersocial security number, the customer service representative will get thecustomer's home phone number (302) and will then move to Block (303) toget the customer's business phone number. The system (10) then moves toBlock (301) where it transfers the customer's account to Block (310) inFIG. 3C.

Returning back to Block (303) in FIG. 3B, if the customer refuses togive his is business number, then the system moves to Block (304). Ifboth the home and business phone numbers are both 9's, the system willforward the account to Block (321), where the customer will be offeredprimary transaction card use services only. Referring to Block (292), ifthe customer has lived at the present address for more than two year,the customer service representative is not required to get thecustomer's previous address.

In Block (285), the system documents a change in the customer's name. Ifthere has been a name change (282), the customer service representativewill inquire whether the caller is the prospective customer listed onthe transaction card (288). If the answer is “yes”, the customer servicerepresentative will ask the customer, according to Block (287), is thecard in the caller's possession. If the answer to Block (287) or (288)is “no”, the customer service representative closes the call because theverification has failed (290). If the answer to Block (287) is “yes”,the card can be activated under Block (289) and the system (10) followsthe same procedure discussed above.

Referring to FIG. 3C, the customer service representative requests thecustomer's total annual household income (310). If the customer knowshis income (315) and provides the customer service representative withthis information, the system then moves to Block (320) to get thecustomer's mother's maiden name or the customer may provide a password.Returning to Block (315), if the customer is unaware of his income ordoes not wish to provide his exact income, the customer is asked to givean income range (330). If the customer refuses to give an income range,the customer service representative attempts a second rebuttal to getthe customer's income (331). After the rebuttal in Block (331), thecustomer service representative gets the customer's mother's maiden nameor password in Block (320). Then the customer service representativeexplains the process for obtaining a credit report for the customer inBlock (332). If the customer does not wish to continue with the creditcheck (360), the customer account is transferred by the system and willbe offered the primary transaction card use only (370). If the customeragrees to the credit check (360), the system connects to the credit cardauthorization process (ZOOT) under Block (380). If the credit cardauthorization process is down (390), the system moves to Block (400). InBlock (400), the system will then activate the transaction card use onlyand instruct the customer service representative to inform the customerto call back at a later time or the customer service representative willforward the customer's account to the outbound calling database so thatthe customer may be called back at a later date in order to activate thesecondary credit card feature.

If the credit bureau is up and running, the system performs the creditcheck. If te applicant is not approved for the credit card in Block(420), the customer account is transferred by the system and thecustomer will be offered the primary transaction card in FIG. 3D (510).If the customer is approved, the system is routed to Block (430) andautomatically returns a credit line based upon the customer's creditcheck.

Once the customer's credit line has been established, the customerservice representative is instructed by the system (10) to solicit abalance transfer from another credit card to the newly approved creditcard (440). If the customer declines the balance transfer offer (450),the system (10) sends the account to Block (370) where the account isautomatically processed for the primary transaction card feature.

Returning back to Block (450), if the customer agrees to a balancetransfer, the balance transfer process is initiate. The system transfersto Block (401) where the customer is asked, “whether the credit card inwhich they would like to transfer the balance from is a First USA creditcard or not.” If the answer is “yes”, the balance transfer cannot beperformed. If the answer is “no”, the customer ten provides the name ofthe major credit card account from which the balance is to betransferred. In Block (451), if the balance is being transferred from amajor credit card account, the customer service representative requeststhe account number and the amount under Block (453). If the account isnot a major credit card but a retail card or the like, the customerservice representative is instructed in Block (452) to get the accountnumber information and the vendor's name and address. If the customer isunable to provide the vendor's name or address, the balance transfercannot be processed without this necessary information. The customerservice representative is instructed to solicit a second balancetransfer in Block (454). Returning to Block (452), if the customersupplies the vendor's name and address, the system moves to Block (457)where the customer service representative obtains the customer's accountnumber and the amount that the customer would like to transfer. Once theinitial balance transfer has been solicited in Block (453), the customerservice representative solicits a second balance transfer under Block(454). The balance transfer process is initiated once again under Block(450). The customer service representative asks the customer “whethershe would like to have a second balance transferred or not.” If thecustomer answers “yes,” the customer service representative asks whatmajor credit card account would the customer like to transfer the amountfrom. If it is a major credit card, under Block (461), the customerservice representative enters the account name, number and amount to betransferred under Block (463). The system transfers the customer's fileto Block (460). Referring back to the second balance transfer in Block(454), if the credit card is not a major credit card under Block (461),the customer service representative requests the account information andthe vendor's address under Block (462). If this information is known(464), the customer service representative inputs the account number andthe amount to be transferred (475). If the information is unknown underBlock (462), the second balance transfer cannot be performed. Only theoriginal balance transfer will be authorized if the initial balancetransferred process was completed in the above steps. The system thenmoves to Block (460) in order to process the first, second, or both thefirst and second balance transfers. In Block (460), the balance transferdisclosure information appears on the system's GUI and the customerservice representative reads the balance transfer disclosure informationto the customer.

A condition of the CAM card is that if the customer is approved for andaccepts the secondary credit card feature, the customer must also agreeto accept the primary transaction card feature. As a result, once thesystem completes the secondary credit card activation process in FIG.3C, the system (10) automatically forwards the customer's account to theprimary transaction card offer in FIG. 3D for processing.

Referring to FIG. 3D, the customer service representative asks thecustomer whether or not they would like to accept the primarytransaction card feature (510). If the customer declines the primarytransaction card offer (520), the customer's account cannot be activatedto receive any services. Thus, the customer service representative endsthe telephone call (530), closes out the account and updates the file onFDR (540). If the customer has been approved for the secondary creditcard feature and now indicates in Block (520) that she does not wish toactivate the primary transaction card, the system (10) prompts thecustomer service representative to remind the customer that the creditcard application is contingent upon her acceptance of the primarytransaction card. If the customer still declines the primary transactioncard, the customer's account will be closed out. The customer servicerepresentative will end the call (530) and then update the account onFDR in Block (540).

If the customer agrees to activate the primary transaction card (520),the system advances to Block (550) where the customer is asked toprovide a four-digit PIN number. In order to obtain the primarytransaction card use feature, the customer must initially agree toestablish a payment source (550). The payment source can be a check,credit card or debit card. If the customer wishes to pay by check, thecustomer simply mails a check to First USA and once the check isapproved, the amount of the check is entered as the payment source forthe customer's primary transaction card use. In addition, a customerwishing to establish her payment source by check may have her checkautomatically processed during the telephone call. If the payment sourceis a credit card account or a debit card account, the customerauthorizes First USA to charge the customer's credit card account ordebit card account for the payment source amount. The credit card ordebit card can be a First USA card or another major credit card or debitcard. After the payment source amount is depleted, the customer mayrecharge the payment source by adding a new amount to their paymentsource account by credit card, debit card transfer, or by check.

If the customer decides not to establish a payment source (570), thesystem advances to Block (580), the customer call is closed out and thecustomer's account is transferred to Blocks (600). (605) and (610),which win be discussed below.

Returning to Block (570), if the customer agrees to establish a paymentsource account, the system (10) inquires as to whether or not thecustomer has a First USA credit card account which has an availablecredit limit greater than 0 (620). The secondary credit card featureobtained in FIGS. 3B and 3C can also serves as the First USA creditcard. If the customer responds affirmatively in Block (620), thecustomer service representative attempts to persuade the customer to useher FIRST USA credit card as her payment source. If the customer hasenrolled in the secondary credit card feature, the system prompts thecustomer service representative to ask the customer, “whether she wouldlike to have her payment source amount of the primary transaction cardposted on her new secondary credit card feature account” (630). If thecustomer decides not to establish her credit card with a First USAcredit card, the system advances to Block (640). If the customer agreesin Block (630) to have any charges incurred on her primary transactioncard posted on her secondary credit card or her First USA credit card,the CAM card activation process is then complete. The systemautomatically closes the call in Block (580).

If in Block (620) the customer has previously declined the secondarycredit card offer or if the customer's credit application for thesecondary credit card has been rejected, the customer may wish toreapply for the secondary credit card in Block (650).

Returning back to Block (620), if the customer's credit card or debtcard is not a First USA card, the system then establishes the non-FirstUSA credit card as the payment amount source (640). Under Block (640),the customer must decide whether the payment source amount will bebilled to another major credit card, debit credit card or by check. InBlock (640) the customer service representative asks the customer toprovide information such as the credit card or debit card provider, thecredit or debit card account number and/or expiration date of the creditor debit card. Once the customer provides all the account informationrequired in Block (640), the CAM card activation is complete. The systemautomatically closes the call (580) and advances the customer's accountto Blocks (600), (605) and/or (610).

Under Block 600, the system generates a reject/decline letter, thebalance transfer information is complied a risk report is generated,and/or any other necessary information is generated, compiled orprocessed. The subroutine of Block (605) forwards the customeractivation records to the primary transaction card use provider. Thecustomer's account is updated on FDR in Block (610).

Once the primary transaction card feature and/or the secondary creditcard feature has been establish, the system includes the “rewarddollars” feature, as an additional feature, to the customer's account.The “rewards” points may be used as a credit against the secondarycredit feature to reduce the balance of the primary transaction cardfeature or the secondary credit card feature. On the other hand, thecustomer may spend her reward dollars in at retail outlets that acceptMASTERCARD®, VISA®, AMERICAN EXPRESS®, DISCOVER® or the like. Also, theaccrued reward points may be used to obtain certain types of gifts,vacations, or other types of prizes offered through award incentiveprograms. The reward dollars feature is just one example of theadditional use features. Other additional use features are available atthe customer's option, such as a travel program, a Christmas savingsplan or a gift purchasing program are available at the customer'soptions.

The Outbound Telemarketing Activation process is similar to the InboundTelemarketing Process, with few exceptions. The scripting read by thecustomer service representative to the customer is different to reflectthe outbound nature of call, verification is different (since ourin-house representatives are contacting offerees in their own home), andpopulation file is different (those who are already activated, or thosewho have requested not to be solicited are not called). The OutboundTelemarketing Activation process is initiated by an outbound customerservice representative calling a prospective customer. Once the prospectis obtained, the Outbound process is the same as the Inbound process,discussed above and illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3D.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference topreferred embodiments which are intended to be illusive rather thanrestrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art to which the present invention pertains withoutdeparting from its spirit and scope. Thus, variations and modificationsof the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope ofthe following claims.

1. A method using a computer system for a real-time customer activationof a value card wherein the system automatically processes a customer'sapplication for a transaction card wherein said system includes a dataentry processing center, a graphical user interface, and a data storingmeans comprising the steps of: a) receiving said customer's request intosaid system: b) providing at least one or more safety features todetermine whether said customer is the person whose name is printed onsaid transaction card; and c) offering said customer the options ofactivating the transaction card by: 1) confirming the customer's desireto activate the primary transaction card use; 2) determining thecustomer's election to add a secondary credit card feature; and 3)identifying the customer's request to activate any additional usefeatures. 2-16. (canceled)
 17. A multi-feature apparatus comprising: atleast one primary feature; and at least one secondary feature, wherein aholder of the apparatus activates each primary and secondary feature,wherein further at least one primary or secondary feature is atransaction feature enabling the apparatus holder to purchase goods orservices from at least one merchant, wherein further the multi-featureapparatus uses one-way only transfer of information from the apparatusto the merchant.
 18. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 17, whereinthe multi-feature apparatus comprises a card, account, or device. 19.The multi-feature apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one primaryfeature comprises a credit, debit, transaction, stored value,identification or rewards feature, or any combination thereof.
 20. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least one secondaryfeature comprises a credit, debit, transaction, stored value,identification or rewards feature, or any combination thereof.
 21. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 20, wherein the identification featurecomprises a PIN, a digital signature, or any other security indicatorthat is unique to the apparatus holder and can be used to identify theapparatus holder.
 22. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 20, whereinat least one secondary feature is different from at least one primaryfeature.
 23. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 18, wherein at leastone primary feature is a transaction feature enabling the cardholder toestablish a direct relationship with an individual company and at leastone secondary feature comprises a credit, debit, transaction, storedvalue, identification or rewards feature, or any combination thereof.24. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 23, wherein at least oneprimary feature is a transaction feature enabling the cardholder toestablish a direct relationship with an individual company and at leastone secondary feature is a credit feature.
 25. The multi-featureapparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one primary feature is a creditfeature and at least one secondary feature comprises a debit,transaction, stored value, identification or rewards feature, or anycombination thereof.
 26. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 17,wherein all information stored on the apparatus that identifies theprimary and secondary features is contained only in a magnetic strip, anembossment or visible printing, or any combination of a magnetic strip,an embossment and visible printing.
 27. A multi-feature apparatus,comprising: at least one primary feature; and at least one secondaryfeature, wherein a holder of the apparatus activates each primary andsecondary feature, wherein further at least one primary or secondaryfeature is a transaction feature enabling the apparatus holder topurchase goods or services from at least one merchant, wherein furtherat least one primary feature comprises a debit feature, wherein furtherthe multi-feature apparatus uses one-way only transfer of informationfrom the apparatus to the merchant.
 28. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 27, wherein the multi-feature apparatus comprises a card, accountor device.
 29. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 28, wherein at leastone secondary feature comprises a credit, stored value, transaction,identification or rewards feature, or any combination thereof.
 30. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 29, wherein at least one secondaryfeature comprises a credit feature.
 31. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 29, wherein at least one secondary feature comprises a rewardsfeature.
 32. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 31, wherein therewards feature can be redeemed at a specific merchant.
 33. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 31, wherein the rewards feature can beredeemed or spent at several different merchants.
 34. The multi-featureapparatus of claim 31, wherein the rewards feature can be redeemed orspent at any merchant who accepts a logo associated with themulti-feature apparatus.
 35. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 31,wherein the rewards feature can be used as a credit against a primaryfeature or a secondary feature to reduce the balance associated with themulti-feature apparatus.
 36. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 31,wherein the rewards feature can be redeemed by the apparatus holder. 37.The multi-feature apparatus of claim 29, wherein the identificationfeature comprises a PIN, a digital signature, or any other securityindicator that is unique to the apparatus holder and can be used toauthenticate the apparatus holder.
 38. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 27, wherein all information stored on the apparatus thatidentifies the primary and secondary features is contained only in amagnetic strip, an embossment or visible printing, or any combination ofa magnetic strip, an embossment and visible printing.
 39. Amulti-feature apparatus comprising: at least one primary feature; and atleast one secondary feature, wherein a holder of the apparatus activateseach primary and secondary feature, wherein further at least one primaryor secondary feature is a transaction feature enabling the apparatusholder to purchase goods or services from at least one merchant, whereinfurther an apparatus holder selects one primary feature or secondaryfeature for use at a merchant point-of-sale, wherein further themulti-feature apparatus uses one-way only transfer of information fromthe apparatus to the merchant.
 40. The multi-feature apparatus of claim39, wherein the multi-feature apparatus comprises a card, account ordevice.
 41. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 40, wherein at leastone primary feature comprises a credit, debit, transaction, storedvalue, identification or rewards feature, or any combination thereof.42. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 41, wherein at least onesecondary feature comprises a credit, debit, transaction, stored value,identification or rewards feature, or any combination thereof.
 43. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 41, wherein at least one secondaryfeature is different from at least one primary feature.
 44. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 43, wherein at least one primary orsecondary feature is a credit feature.
 45. The multi-feature apparatusof claim 40, wherein the merchant point-of-sale comprises a store, atelephone, a computer terminal, a television set, or correspondence thattravels by U.S. mail or any private delivery service.
 46. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 39, wherein all information stored onthe apparatus that identifies the primary and secondary features iscontained only in a magnetic strip, an embossment or visible printing,or any combination of a magnetic strip, an embossment and visibleprinting.
 47. A multi-feature apparatus comprising: at least one primaryfeature; and at least one secondary feature, the multi-feature apparatusbeing issued to an apparatus holder by an issuer, wherein a holder ofthe apparatus activates each primary and secondary feature, whereinfurther at least one primary or secondary feature is a transactionfeature enabling the apparatus holder to purchase goods or services fromat least one merchant, wherein further a predetermined primary featureor secondary feature is used at a merchant point-of-sale to purchasegoods or services, wherein further the multi-feature apparatus usesone-way only transfer of information from the apparatus to the merchant.48. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 47, wherein the multi-featureapparatus comprises a card, account or device.
 49. The multi-featureapparatus of claim 48, wherein at least one primary feature comprises acredit, debit, transaction, stored value, identification or rewardsfeature, or any combination thereof.
 50. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 49, wherein at least one secondary feature comprises a credit,debit, transaction, stored value, identification or rewards feature, orany combination thereof.
 51. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 50,wherein at least one secondary feature is different from at least oneprimary feature.
 52. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 51, wherein atleast one primary or secondary feature is a credit feature.
 53. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 48, wherein the merchant point-of-salecomprises a store, a telephone, a computer terminal, a television set,or correspondence that travels by U.S. mail or any private deliveryservice.
 54. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 53, wherein thepredetermined feature to be used at the merchant point-of-sale isselected according to one or more predetermined factors, the factorsbased on the merchant point-of-sale.
 55. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 54, wherein the predetermined factors comprise one or more ofmerchant, amount of transaction, primary and secondary featuresavailable for the multi-feature apparatus, payment history of theapparatus holder, income of the apparatus holder, credit rating of theapparatus holder, geographic location of merchant point-of-sale, andcredit line provided by the apparatus issuer to the apparatus holder.56. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 55, wherein the apparatusholder selects the predetermined factors.
 57. The multi-featureapparatus of claim 55, wherein the apparatus issuer selects thepredetermined factors.
 58. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 47,wherein all information stored on the apparatus that identifies theprimary and secondary features is contained only in a magnetic strip, anembossment or visible printing, or any combination of a magnetic strip,an embossment and visible printing.
 59. A multi-feature apparatus,comprising: at least one primary feature, wherein at least one primaryfeature is capable of being activated by an apparatus holder; and atleast one secondary feature, wherein at least one secondary feature iscapable of being activated by the apparatus holder, wherein the holderof the apparatus activates each primary and secondary feature, whereinfurther at least one primary or secondary feature is a transactionfeature enabling the apparatus holder to purchase goods or services fromat least one merchant, wherein further the apparatus holder is providedthe option to activate at least one primary or secondary feature at amerchant point-of-sale to purchase goods or services, wherein furtherthe multi-feature apparatus uses one-way only transfer of informationfrom the apparatus to the merchant.
 60. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 59, wherein the multi-feature apparatus comprises a card, accountor device.
 61. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 60, wherein at leastone primary feature comprises a credit, debit, transaction, storedvalue, identification or rewards feature, or any combination thereof.62. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 61, wherein at least onesecondary feature comprises a credit, debit, transaction, stored value,identification or rewards feature, or any combination thereof.
 63. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 62, wherein at least one secondaryfeature is different from at least one primary feature.
 64. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 63, wherein at least one primary orsecondary feature is a credit feature.
 65. The multi-feature apparatusof claim 60, wherein the merchant point-of-sale comprises a store, atelephone, a computer terminal, a television set, or correspondence thattravels by U.S. mail or any private delivery service.
 66. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 60, wherein the apparatus holderselects which primary feature or secondary feature to activate.
 67. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 60, wherein the apparatus issuerselects which primary feature or secondary feature to activate.
 68. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 59, wherein all information stored onthe apparatus that identifies the primary and secondary features iscontained only in a magnetic strip, an embossment or visible printing,or any combination of a magnetic strip, an embossment and visibleprinting.
 69. A multi-feature apparatus comprising: at least one primaryfeature; at least one secondary feature; and at least one predeterminedpayment source, wherein a holder of the apparatus activates each primaryand secondary feature, wherein further at least one primary or secondaryfeature is a transaction feature enabling the apparatus holder topurchase goods or services from at least one merchant, wherein furtherpayment for purchases of goods or services made with the multi-featureapparatus using any of the primary features or the secondary featurescan be funded from the at least one predetermined payment source,wherein further the multi-feature apparatus uses one-way only transferof information from the apparatus to the merchant.
 70. The multi-featureapparatus of claim 69, wherein the multi-feature apparatus comprises acard, account or device.
 71. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 70,wherein at least one primary feature comprises a credit, debit,transaction, stored value, identification or rewards feature, or anycombination thereof.
 72. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 71,wherein at least one secondary feature comprises a credit, debit,transaction, stored value, identification or rewards feature, or anycombination thereof.
 73. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 72,wherein at least one secondary feature is different from at least oneprimary feature.
 74. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 73, wherein atleast one primary or secondary feature is a credit feature.
 75. Themulti-feature apparatus of claim 70, wherein the at least onepredetermined payment source for each payment is selected according toone or more predetermined conditions.
 76. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 75, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions relate to themerchant point-of-sale, the amount of the charge to the multi-featureapparatus, and the relationship between the apparatus issuer and thepayment source.
 77. The multi-feature apparatus of claim 70, wherein theat least one predetermined payment source comprises one or more of linesof credit, credit cards, debit cards, direct deposit accounts, savingsaccounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, loans, primaryfeatures, and secondary features.
 78. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 69, wherein all information stored on the apparatus thatidentifies the primary and secondary features and the predeterminedpayment sources is contained only in a magnetic strip, an embossment orvisible printing, or any combination of a magnetic strip, an embossmentand visible printing.
 79. A multi-feature apparatus comprising: at leastone primary feature; and at least one secondary feature, wherein aprimary feature is a credit feature enabling the apparatus holder topurchase goods or services from a single merchant and a secondaryfeature is a credit feature enabling the apparatus holder to purchasegoods or services from multiple merchants, wherein further allinformation stored on the apparatus that identifies the primary andsecondary features is contained only in a magnetic strip, an embossmentor visible printing, or any combination of a magnetic strip, anembossment and visible printing.
 80. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 79, wherein a secondary feature is a rewards feature.
 81. Amulti-feature apparatus comprising: at least one primary feature; and atleast one secondary feature, wherein a primary feature is a creditfeature enabling the apparatus holder to purchase goods or services frommultiple merchants and a secondary feature is a debit feature, whereinfurther all information stored on the apparatus that identifies theprimary and secondary features is contained only in a magnetic strip, anembossment or visible printing, or any combination of a magnetic strip,an embossment and visible printing.
 82. The multi-feature apparatus ofclaim 81, wherein a secondary feature is a rewards feature.